Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper feeding cassette storing stacked sheets therein and an image forming apparatus employing this paper feeding cassette. Particularly, a feature of the invention consists in the paper feeding cassette which is adapted for easy strain-free extraction of the stacked sheets from the paper feeding cassette when the sheets stacked and stored in the paper feeding cassette are taken out.
Description of the Related Art
In image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, facsimiles and multi-functional peripherals thereof, it has been a general practice to feed a sheet from the paper feeding cassette storing the stacked sheets therein and to guide the fed sheet into an image forming process so as to allow a toner image to be formed on this sheet.
To change the type or size of the sheets for image formation in such image forming apparatuses, it has been a practice to take out the stacked sheets from the paper feeding cassette and to stack new sheets in the paper feeding cassette.
The following problem may be encountered when the sheets stacked in the paper feeding cassette are taken out of the paper feeding cassette. In a case where a gap between the stored sheets and the paper feeding cassette is small, it is difficult to take out the sheets from the paper feeding cassette by inserting a hand in the gap between the stored sheets and the paper feeding cassette. If an operator tries to take out the sheets from the paper feeding cassette by forcibly inserting his hand into the gap between the sheets and the paper feeding cassette, the hand may be abraded against the paper feeding cassette or the sheet may be strained and folded.
As disclosed in a patent document 1 (JP-A No. 2007-230699), there has heretofore been proposed a paper feeding cassette storing the stacked sheets therein, which is formed with a hole ox notch in a bottom thereof such as to permit a finger to be inserted through this hole or notch for pushing up the sheets from the bottom of the paper feeding cassette.
However, the operation of inserting the finger through, the hole or notch formed in the bottom of the paper feeding cassette and pushing up the sheets from the bottom of the paper feeding cassette is not only cumbersome, but also involves fear of cutting the finger. Particularly, in a case where the number of sheets stacked in the paper feeding cassette is so large that the sheet stack has a substantial weight, the operation of pushing up the sheets from the bottom of the paper feeding cassette becomes even more difficult.